A weblog examining sexual politics in higher education and beyond.

The notion that differential power precludes consent has been a core concept in the movement to ban student professor consensual relationships. In essence, differential power precludes consent has framed the issue. Such a framing communicates that the banning movement is about decreasing power over others so that people can freely consent to whatever. Or, in other terms, equality replaces differential power and obtaining the goal of equality is a worthy goal. The problem is that the banning movement does not abolish or minimize power; the movement does not replace differential power with equality. Differential power is in effect affirmed by providing institutional power to university administrators to regulate the private sexual lives of both students and professors. So-called consensual policies are about the legitimization of the power exerted by administrators to coerce professors and students to follow a mandated sexual script. And it generally disempowers students more than professors since these policies often mandate that the professor report oneself and the involved student to university authorities. Note that the student has no part to play in this scenario. The enforcing administrators do not give any option to a student to report or not to report; consent in this context is considered to be irrelevant.

Unfortunately, nothing is new here. Power is taken away and given to powerful others so they can work their will on others. No one gains any power except those at the top of the hierarchy. If the power game is successful, then enforcement becomes a police function. Such is true for the current Bush administration that in the name of protection and security trashes just about all constitutional protections, and attempts to conduct its police function in secret. The Bush people have learned from the prior Nixon administration not to leave around any damning tapes. The challenge is always the same for those seeking the truth and this is the piercing of the veil of secrecy. And secrecy in the university world under the guise of “personnel matters” is extremely difficult to pierce. In this area of student professor

consensual relationships policy and its enforcement, such will continue to prevail as long as secrecy prevails. Just as was the case for gays in the the U.S., no significant change occurred until the closet was broken down, and in time with many gays out of the closet, the dominant society gave little deference to those who argued that they were offended by those who “flaunted” their gayness, and argued that such acceptance represented the end of Western civilization. Such arguments no longer flourish unhindered but in the university world they are applied to student professor relationships and flourish unhindered.

The love that dare not speaks its name will remain ensconced in university land until…

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If you wish, you can write to me directly at dankprofessor@msn.com
Guest commentaries should also be submitted for consideration to the same email address.

Blog reports on and examines sexual politics in higher education with a focus on issues regarding sexual consent, particularly the attempted repression of student-professor consensual sexual relationships. Thie blog reflects a commitment to the values of liberty, freedom of association, freedom of speech and privacy; such are values that are under increasing attack, both intellectually and policy wise in all too many universities which have embraced a culture of comfort in the framework of a velvet totalitarianism.

In addition, the blog at times will go beyond the university and sexual politics to issues that merit our attention. Whatever the issue the dankprofessor blog will not be constrained by any ideological orthodoxy, sexual or political correctness. Hopefully, this blog will bring together persons who value liberty and freedom even in university life.

The dankprofessor is Barry M. Dank, an emeritus professor of sociology at California State University, Long Beach, where he taught students and engaged in various forms of professorial dissidence for some 35 years.. In his earlier years, he wrote and pontificated on issues related to homosexuality and specifically on coming out and the development of a gay identity. In 1977 he became famous/infamous for his LA Times article on the anti-homosexual campaign of Anita Bryant. Later he focused on interracial relationships and on student-professor relationships. He is the Founding Editor of SEXUALITY AND CULTURE, published by Springer NYC. During his 35 years as a professor and four years as an in-residence grad student at the University of Wisconsin, he openly engaged in propinquitous (as in propinquity) dating, dating students and having many wonderful friendships with many of his students and their families. During his early years in academia he married the daughter of a professor in the Sociology Department at the University of Wisconsin. Presently he is living in Palm Desert, California. His wife, Henrietta, who he met when she was a student in one of his classes, passed away in 2015. She inspired much of his activism in the area of student professor relationships. She will always be loved and her love and devotion will never be forgotten.

The dankprofessor welcomes input from blog readers. Confidential emails should be sent to him directly at- bdank22@msn.com The dankprofessor will respond to all personal emails.

Leads on relevant stories will be greatly appreciated.

Guest commentaries should be sent to the same email address for consideration for blog publication.

The dankprofessor is available for campus/class presentations on sexual politics in higher education.